Tommaso Ciampa is officially All Eliteand now we know exactly why he walked away from WWE after nearly a decade.
Just one day after WWE quietly moved Ciampa to its alumni section on January 27, the former NXT Champion shocked fans by showing up on the January 28 episode of AEW Dynamite. Later that night, AEW President Tony Khan confirmed the move with the signature All Elite graphic, making Ciampas signing official.
But what pushed Ciampa to leave the company he helped build during the black-and-gold era of NXT? In a new interview with Sports Illustrateds Rick Ucchino, the Psycho Killer explained that this wasnt a rash decisionit was something that had been building for a while.
As for where he felt he belonged in this era of wrestling, Ciampa made it clear that AEW was the natural next step in his journey.
Ciampa also opened up about past creative limitations in WWE and how AEWs collaborative energy gave him the space to bring his long-shelved ideas to life.
Ciampa made his AEW debut by answering Mark Briscoes TNT Title open challenge, setting the stage for his first match this Saturday on AEW Collision. The debut featured a dramatic lights-out entrance and a new theme song, My Shadow Knows, symbolizing the start of a new chapter for a man who once ruled NXT.
The move ends months of speculation after Ciampa filed new trademarks for Psycho Killer and Psycho King, dropped fresh merchandise, and launched a new booking campaign shortly after his WWE deal expired. Now, with a TNT Championship match already lined up, Ciampa is wasting no time planting his flag in AEW.
This ones personal, and Ciampas clearly all-in on what comes next.
Do you think Tommaso Ciampa made the right move by joining AEW? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
